Details 

A rare, refined and elegant limited edition rose gold wristwatch from Spanish brand Ophion, founded in 2016. The OPH 786 Vélos collection was launched in 2020. Case in 18k rose gold, diameter 39 mm, 10.45 mm thick, sapphire caseback. Dark-grey dial with CNC machined ‘vieux panier’ guilloché pattern, applied Breguet Arabic numerals, applied ring with the brand name, applied logo and applied peripheral minute scale. Hand-wound movement decorated with hammered relief pattern, double barrel, power reserve up to 120 hours. Functions – display of time in hours, minutes and seconds. Brown leather strap, Ophion pin buckle in rose gold. Limited edition of 10 pieces.

Lot essay 

The independent brand Ophion is one of the most remarkable newcomers on the market of collectible watches. It owes this both to its Spanish origin – we know very few watch brands from this country, and to its particular positioning. It has focused on a very rare specialization: making watches with luxurious-looking finishes, that are mainly machine-made. This is especially true of the ‘vieux panier’ high-relief pattern dial, which is neither made by hand on a traditional rose machine – that would make the watch unnecessarily expensive, nor stamped – that would look too plain and not achieve the visual effect Ophion wants. Instead, the guilloché on the dial is CNC-milled to achieve a depth of relief that is difficult to achieve with stamping techniques. 

The present lot would be a great buy for the collector or connoisseur of exquisite decorative watches looking for a fine, neat, eye-catching rose gold timepiece from a small and creative brand known for its sophisticated yet affordable watches.

Of particular note is the meticulously rounded and polished case, made using traditional techniques with separately made turned parts and separately sculpted lugs soldered to the case, as well as a carefully made ribbed turban-shaped crown. This lot is also interesting because it’s the rarest Ophion model with a rose gold case. Most likely, this limited edition is the first gold model in the Ophion collection. 

If most other stories about a mid-priced brand watch end at this point, that’s clearly not the case with Ophion. The brand offers its own hand-wound movement in its watches with an impressive power reserve of 5 days. This movement is based on a hand-wound caliber formerly known as TT 718, developed by Technotime, a Swiss movement manufacturer founded in 2001. After Technotime’s bankruptcy in 2017, Ophion didn’t lose the movement supplier, as the rights to manufacture the TT 718 were acquired by the Festina Group’s Soprod factory. For the OPH 786 collection, launched in 2018, Ophion has extensively adapted this caliber, creating a symmetrical design with two trapezoidal barrel bridges, clearly inspired by old, high-end pocket watch calibers. The attractive arrangement is complemented by an unusual hammered embossed decoration on the bridges and wide mirrored chamfers finished with a diamond tool. 

Reasons to bid 

The Ophion OPH 786 Vélos Rose Gold Tobacco CNC Guilloché Limited Edition would be a great buy for the collector or connoisseur of exquisite decorative watches looking for a fine, neat, eye-catching rose gold timepiece from a small and creative brand known for its sophisticated yet affordable watches. The classic appearance is complemented by the gently rounded case with rare teardrop-shaped lugs, charming turban-shaped winding crown and beautiful dial with CNC-milled ‘vieux panier’ relief pattern and applied Breguet Arabic high-relief numerals. The proprietary version of the 5-day hand-wound movement with refined bridge arrangement, intricate hammered decoration and spectacular diamond-cut chamfers makes this lot even more attractive. 

Specification

Condition report